Mechanism for temporarily locking water-closet bowls or washbasins.



No. 733,787. Y PATENTED' JULY 14,1903;

7 E. woonlw-Fr. MECHANISM FOR TBMPORARILY LOCKING WATER CLOSET BOWLS 0RWASHBA SIN-S.

APPLICATION FILED 001?.2, 1902.

no MODEL.

llllll UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WOODRUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,787, dated Ju1y14,1903.

Application filed October 2, 1902. Serial No.l25,650; (No model.) I

To all whom. it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD WOODRUFF, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohi-.

cago, in the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Temporarily Lockin gWater-Closet Bowls or Washbasins, of which the .following is aspecification in its best form now known to me, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the sameparts throughout the several views.

My invention relates to mechanism of the general class described above,and is particularly an improvement upon the mechanism shown in PatentNo. 706,869, granted to me August 12, 1902.

The invention consists in a novel form of attachment mechanism forsecuringa d etach-' able adjustable contact with the underside of theflanges of receptacles of various sizes to be closed whereby thetemporary cover may be secured in position; and it also consists incertain details of construction, which will more fully appear as thespecification proceeds.

In the draWings,,Figure l is a side view, partially in section, showingthe mechanism of my invention applied to the bowl of a closet. Fig. 2 isa partial plan view showing the method of locking the mechanism inposition. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of T- shaped pieces used informing the adjustable attachment mechanism for securing engagement ofthe device with the flanges of the bowl. Fig. 5 is a detail plan viewtaken on line 5 of Figs. 1 and 6; and Fig. 6 is a detail view taken online 6 of Fig. 5, showing the relative arrangement of the bolt and theT- shaped pieces forming the attaching mechanism. c

As will more fully appear from an inspection of the previous patentabove referred to, the general object of my original invention was toprovide mechanism for temporarily locking the-bowls of water-closetswhen not in use, the same consisting, broadly, of a plate adapted to fitover the receptacle to be closed and mechanism, one form of which wasdescribed in the patent, for securing adjustable engagement under thesides of the flanges of different-sized bowls and mechanism for lockingthe whole in position, so that it could not be removed.

In the drawings in this case illustrating my improvement in saidmechanism, 10 represents the bowl of an ordinary bath-room closet,having around its upper edge the flange 11, having hinged to it theusual seat 12. On the top of fiange ll I placea plate 13, preferably ofiron or steel, of sufficient size so as to completely cover the top ofany of the bowls in ordinary use. Interposed between the plate 13 andthe flange 11 is a'washer, preferably of rubber, 14, adapted to securean airtight fit between the plate and the flange. This washer 14 may be,if desired, attached to the plate 13 by cement or other suitable means,and the washer should be of sufficient width, so that it is adapted tobe used on bowls of different sizes. It may be in one piece covering theentire plate.

To secure the mechanism just described to the bowl, I provide anattachment mechanism which forms the principal feature of the inventionhere in question. It consists of two T-shaped pieces 15 and 16.(Illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4.) The T-shaped piece 16 is madeby taking a piece of fiat iron or steel and first bending one end in thestraight or slightly-curved portion 17, then making a sharp bend 18 intothe long straight portion 19 of a length somewhat more than half thewidth of the broadest bowl the mechanism is to be used upon, thenbending the iron in a half-circle 20 and carrying it back in thestraight portion 21 parallel to portion 19, so as to leavean opening orslot 22 between the portions 19 and 21, then bending the iron in a curve23, and finishing the construction with the straight or slightly-curvedportion 2 1 symmetrical to portion 17. The iron or steel of which theT-shaped piece is made should preferably be about one-half of an inchwide and one-quarter of an inch thick, so that it will be of sufiicientrigidity to keep the sides of the slots 22 substantially parallel duringthe operation of my invention, which shall hereinafter be described. Theshape of the portions 17 and 24 should be approximately the arc of acircle struck from a center somewhere near the opposite end 20 of theT-shaped piece 16, so that they will be of approximately the curvatureof the on the other T-shaped piece.

upper wall of the bowl which the device is adapted to fit. The T- shapedpiece 15 is of exactly the same size and construction as the T- shapedpiece 16 just described, except that it has on the ends of portions 17and 24 lugs 25 and 26 of the thickness of the T-shaped piece 16, so thatwhen piece 16 is laid on the top of piece 15 the tops of the lugs 25 and26 will, as shown in Fig. 1, be substantially, if not exactly, on alevel with each other and bear against the under side of the flange 11,as shown.

To form the attachment mechanism, I place the T-shaped piece 16 onT-shaped piece 15, as just described and shown in Fig. 1, and passthrough the slot 22 in T-shaped piece 16 and slot 28 in T-shaped piece15 the bolt 30, having a head 31 of greater width than the slots justreferred to, and form the bolt with a square cross-section 32 adjacentto said head 31, adapted to fit in and slide along slots 22 and 28.Above this square portion 32 I place over the bolt a washer 33 andcheck-nut 34, so that by loosening the nut 34 the square portion 32 ofthe bolt may be moved along the slots 22 and 28, or the T- shaped pieces15 and 16 may be moved relative to each other and the nut 34 thentightened to fasten them in position. In order to steady the T-shapedpieces 15 and 1b and provide a guide, so that they can only bemoved inthe one straight line with reference to each other, (that line being thecenter line of the slots 22 and 28,) I provide a short bolt 36, adaptedto pass through slots 22 and 28, having a head 37 hearing on oneT-shaped piece and a thumb-nut 38 bearing When now it is desired toslide T-shaped pieces 15 and 16 with reference to each other, I simplyloosen the nut 34 and the thumb-nut 38 until the parts are loose enoughfor such adjustment. I now move them with reference to each other in thedesired position and tighten nuts 34 and 38. As in the constructionshown in my previous patent above referred to, the shank of the bolt 30passes through a hole 40 in the plate 13 and has upon its upper end athumbnut 42. Attached to a staple 44 on the plate 13 is a hasp 45,having a slot 46, adapted to fit over the straight sides 47 of thethumbnut and prevent its being turned. The end of the hasp 45 passesover another staple 48, through which is detachabl y passed a padlock49.

In the operation of the improved mechanism of my invention I first takethe attaching mechanism, consisting of T-shaped pieces 15 and 16, thebolts 30 and 36, and the attached portions, and by making the adjustmentheretofore described move the T-shaped pieces 15 and 16 until the Tparts 17 and 24 of each bear against the under side wall and the underside of the flange of the bowl to which the mechanism is to be applied,as shown in Fig. 1, and tighten the nuts 34 and 38, thereby securing theparts in position. I then take the plate 13, placeit and the(preferably'rubber) washer or pad 14 over the shank of the bolt 30, asshown, thread thumb-nut 42 onto the bolt 30, and turn it up tight. Ithen close down the hasp 45, as shown in Fig. 2, over the thumb-nut 42and place the lock 49 through the staple 45 and lock it in position. Toremove the mechanism, I reverse the operations described above.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact detailsof construction, which may be varied within reasonable limits withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim as new, and on which Idesire Letters Patent, is

1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plateadapted to fit over the receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanismbelow said plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T shaped pieceseach being provided with a longitudinal slot, the T-shaped ends of saidpieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flange around theinterior of the receptacle to be closed, a bolt passing through saidslots and also through said plate, and means for tightening said boltwhereby said plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn toward eachother, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plateadapted to fit over the receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanismbelow said plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T-shaped pieceseach being provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T- shapedends of said pieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flangearound the interior of the receptacle to be closed, a bolt passingthrough the slots in said T-shaped pieces and also through said plate,and means for tightening said bolt and drawing said attachin g mechanismtoward said plate, substantially as described. v

3. In mechanism ofthe character described, the combination of a plateadapted to cover a receptacle to be closed, an attaching mechanism belowsaid plate consisting of two oppositely-disposed T-shaped pieces eachbeing provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T-shaped ends ofsaid pieces being adapted to engage the underside of a flange around theinterior of said receptacle, a bolt passing through the slots in saidT-shaped pieces and also through said plate, means for tightening saidbolt whereby said plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn toward eachother, and means for lockin g said tightening means, substantially asdescribed.

4. In mechanism of the characterdescribed, the combination of a plateadapted to cover a receptacle to be closed, attaching mechanism belowsaid plate consisting of two oppositelydisposed T-shaped pieces eachbeing provided with an open-end longitudinal slot, the T- shaped ends ofsaid pieces being adapted to engage the under side of a flange aroundthe interior of said receptacle, a bolt passing through the slots insaid T-shaped pieces and also through said plate, means for tighteningsaid bolt whereby the plate and attaching mechanism may be drawn towardeach other,

and a second bolt passing through said slots and provided withtightening means for clamping said T-shaped pieces together,substantially as described.

5. As an article of manufacture for use in mechanism of the classdescribed, a T-shaped EDWARD WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. OHEEVER, WM. E. BURNS.

